Breath of Life
by felineveracity
Summary: She was reckless, crude, and completely human by all accounts...but, maybe that's exactly what he needed. Canon-verse.
1. Welcome to Tokyo

**Feline's Note:** This particular story has been in my head for some time

and I finally decided to put it onto paper! It's definitely taken over my other

one for the time being though I'll still be slowly working on that one as well.

Anyway, I hope you guys into this story! Reviews/Crit are _always_ welcome!

**_..._**

_Well shit._

Those were the only two words that came to mind as Sam stared out at the city before her, meager luggage in hand as the streets crowded with people and taxis. She'd heard that Tokyo was exceptionally compact, but nothing prepared her for the real thing. It was like people were in a living sardine can, for Jehova's sake! Resisting the urge to pinch the birdge of her nose, a grunt game when someone knocked into her from behind.

"Sorry, son!"

Her eyebrow twitched, as she muttered sharply, "I am not a _boy_." Sure, she may have looked like a boy - long hair tied up in a bun that was covered by a hood, short body with no real bust to speak of, but dammit, she was a girl! _Whatever_, she snorted, and focused on flagging down some kind of cab, or taxi so she could get to her new apartment, and crash for a couple of hours.

Thankfully she'd had the insight beforehand to pick place that already had some amount of furniture, 'cause it would've sucked to have to take a nap on thin, uncomfortable carpet. Unless it was the kitchen, in which case, cold tile. Either way, not very appealing to her. Flopping down onto the couch, she exhaled heavily, ignoring the faint scent of dust that clung to the cushion she was buried in.

Her first trip to Tokyo, and she'd been called a boy, nearly robbed, and cursed for being an American.

In her defense, she was only three-fourths American, and her father never bothered to teach her about the 'homeland' and all that. Which is why her Japanese was currently pretty damn broken, and she settled for awkward hand-signs and talking very slowly in English if she was having a particularly hard time.

Yeah, that was probably worse than speaking bad Japanese in hindsight. Eh, too late now. She'd work on that later. Right now, the only thing on her mind was taking a cat nap, showering, and eating. Maybe not in that order, but eventually they would happen.

_Is it wrong to get Chinese take-out in Tokyo? Do they even have Chinese take-out here? _Sushi to go could be good too. If not, well, there was always good ol' bread and butter, with a side of cheap vodka. Yep- might as well be American on the first night, before switching to sake and chopsticks.

Hot water hit her face as she stood in the shower, having pried herself from the funny smelling couch to avoid falling asleep dirty and hungry. This, _this_ was the one true requirement when she was looking for a place; good, running hot water. Quickly followed by a fairly safe neighborhood and all that jazz. But she needed to have good showers if she stood a chance of not being a PMS'ing bitch all the time because her showers sucked.

Combing shampoo-coated fingers through her hair, she lathered it well, massaging her scalp and spreading it to the tips of her hair before adding a bit more - after all, she had a lot of hair.

It was thick and came down nearly to her butt. It had been a while since she'd hair this long, but she liked it; before it had been chopped short, and while a lot easier to shampoo and cute, it did always have to be styled into something. At least now if she was lazy all she needed was a hairband. _If it's not one damn thing, it's another! _

Maybe she kept it longer to help push the fact that yes, she was a girl. That seemed to be the main she had going for her too, not at all being build like some old hollywood vixen.

Not that she minded; she'd heard horror stories from her mother who was chesty, and needed to get a breast reduction to help ease the back pains. Yeah, no, she wasn't about that life. She was happy with the way she looked now: five foot five, mildly pear-shaped thanks to her thighs, with enough in the trunk to act like a cushion. Not to mention the fact that she couldn't see her ribs when she stretched, which was always a good sign.

Why people coveted being super-thin was beyond her. Sure, with clothes they looked good, but without it, not so much usually. Some people got lucky, though.

Shaking her head, she liberally applied conditioner to her dark locks, paying special attention to the ends. Her thighs jiggled and her stomach was hardly flat, and she didn't care. Food was her best friend, and there was no way she was switching to some vegetarian diet, or working out like a madman to look like a thin bird.

People were crazy nowadays; whether it was diet crazes or Black Friday, they were ready to pounce on anything. Rinsing the coconut conditioner from her hair, she turned off the shower and reached for a fluffy black towel, wrapping it around her body before wrapping her hair in a similar one, and twisting it. "I hope the cable is good...what better way to fall asleep then to some overdramatic Soap?"

That night she knocked out with the television still on, and a plate of assorted, half-eaten bagels on the nightstand.

**…**

_Bzz. Bzz._

She ignored the alarm easily, it's initial low-tones covered up by a soft snore.

_Bzz, bzz!_

Maybe if she kept ignoring it, it would just stop.

_BZZ, BZZ!_

Hand shooting out of bed, she slapped around a moment before hitting the appropriate button on her phone, and rolled over, fully intent on going back to sleep. But with anyone who's been startled awake by an alarm, that was a lot easier said than done.

Hugging onto her pillow tightly, she tried to force herself back into that blissful, unconscious state. But it quickly became apparent that she was far too aware of the noise outside from an awake city to do that without some kind of sleep aid. _Dammit. _

With a groan she peeled herself out of bed, long, wavy hair an absolute mess - and she gave _zero_ fucks about it - as she brushed her teeth lazily, daydreaming of breakfast.

Was it too early for sushi?

A quick check outside, showing the brightness of the day convinced her it probably wasn't. In all actuality, it was near noon anyway, so there would be no problem combining breakfast and lunch together. Rinsing her mouth with the travel-sized Listerine, she haphazardly brushed through her hair, and dug through her suitcase for something suitable to wear. _Note to self, go shopping. _

Since it seemed warm enough outside, she settled for some shorts and nice, loose tank top paired with her favorite biker-boots. They were old, and she was pretty sure a stud was missing, but they were comfortable, which was the main reason she loved them so much.

Armed with a miniature translation dictionary in her pocket (just in case), she left the apartment in search of some place to eat. _Tofu, tofu...eh, can't read that - ...the hell is a Wacdonalds? _Shaking her head, she avoided an avid biker peddling for all he was worth, and finally spotted what she was looking for.

Joy bubbled, her gut clenching in agreement - there was some pretty good sushi bars back home, but it had to be even better here.

Needless to say, she totally stuffed herself. Leaning back against the chair, she stared longingly at the last few remaining rolls, knowing she wouldn't be able to finish them right now. Patting her stomach, now slightly more prominent thanks to the inhale of food, Sam decided it was a good day to be in Tokyo. Thanking the server, she left the yen for the bill, putting the remaining money she took out for the day in a tight pocket.

Exploring some of the nearby areas was first on the list, and she was grateful for the walk it provided - some of the parks were really beautiful, and hell, even the buildings blew her away.

They weren't at all like the colder looking ones back in Toronto, but that was for obvious reasons.

Checking the time on her phone, she noticed she'd actually missed a call. _Huh. Wonder who it could be? _Putting it up to her ear and listening to the voicemail, a grin spread to her face. It was her pen pal, who wanted to set up some sort of meeting. They'd written letters back and forth for a couple of months, and now they'd finally get to meet! It was pretty exciting, actually.

"Well," She said aloud lightly, "I look forward to meeting you too, Kagome."


	2. Dinner and Surprises

If nothing else, riding the monorail was actually pretty relaxing. Being a weekend, it wasn't packed with people going to or from work; or even students. Headphones in her ears, rock tones of Linkin Park drifted through her head, fingers tapping along to the beat slightly as she peered out the window.

This part of town was more breathable than the other, filled with legitimate houses and outdoor markets rather than apartment complexes and office buildings. The faint jerk of the monorail stopping broke her out of her musings, and she stood up, joining the small crowd that got out at the stop as well. _Alright, let's see now...she said it was a shrine? _

Huh. Sam didn't even know they still had shrines, but Japan always embraced their roots, so she couldn't be too surprised. It was kind of nice, actually; that was something they didn't have much of in America.

Brushing back from stray hairs from her face, she made her way up the stairs with a faint huff of annoyance - why were there so many?! - and made her way toward the house. A faint feeling of nervousness mingled with excitement; she knew her mother would scold her for meeting someone she'd never known personally, but things weren't all that unsafe.

It's a public area, sort of, and Kagome had definitely sounded like a girl...well, worse case scenario, she'd just have to remember some of those martial arts classes dad forced her into. Maybe they'd finally come in handy? _Eh, here goes nothing! _Knocking on the door swiftly she stood back, patiently waiting as she heard some movement about the house.

"Coming!" Only a moment later did the door slide open, and a pretty teenager stepped out, bright blue eyes flashing happily.

"Samantha?"

Offering a salute, she gave a lopsided grin, blowing a bit of hair out of her face. "Yep, that's me. I prefer Sam, though. Think it fits a little better, y'know? Not as...frilly." Kagome laughed, and she took that as a good sign. Looks like her socializing skills with other girls weren't as rusty as she thought! For a few years there, she wondered if she just didn't know how to communicate girls her own age, but evidence of them just being stuck up pitches quickly rose.

"Do you want to come in? I think we're just about to eat."

Sam shivered, and not out of fear. Nearly an endless pit for food, the idea of eating a home-cooked meal was ridiculously tempting. "Sure, sounds good. Not sure how much I'll eat, but how could I refuse?"

The blue-eyed girl hooked arms with her, and led them inside with a bright grin. "Oh, mom is going to _love_ you."

Plates of rice, fish, and various meats with vegetables were staring back at her.

She took it as a challenge.

_Eat me_, they said, and so she whispered with chopsticks in hand, _Yes._

Piece by piece, bits of food made it to her plate, and then devoured. While she did not finish everything she put on her plate, more than half of it was gone, which was pretty impressive, considering the slew of rolls she hate less than a few hours before. Everyone else around the table was just about finishing up too, and Kagome's little brother had been slack-jawed since she'd started eating at a breakneck pace.

Mother always said to be patient and take the time to chew...but clearly mother never had Ms. Higurashi's steak! It was tender, juicy, and a little pink in the middle, just the way she liked it. Reaching for a toothpick she stuck it in her mouth, sighing contently as the food settled in her stomach. This really had to be the best day ever.

Idle chit-chat started about the room. Souta asked a dozen of questions, whether about Canada or America (which she had visited a few times), especially anything that had to do about video games.

She was a rather avid gamer herself, and and upon saying so, she could've sworn she saw little hearts explode behind the boy's eyes. _Cute. Now I have a boyfriend. _At least she wouldn't have to worry about him chasing the tail of some bimbo. _Ah, young love. So innocent, so pure. _

Kagome remarked on some movie that recently came out, and she'd been about to respond, when-

"Hey, what's takin' to damn long?!" A boy in red burst into the kitchen, a scowl on his face as his eyes landed on Kagome, and then slowly. slid over the rest of the table, finally landing on her. His face shifted into uncertainty, golden eyes going wide as he stood there, frozen. The thing that was oddest to her was that no one said anything, as if it was totally normal for this boy to come in unannounced with twitching ears on his head.

_Ears_.

White, fuzzy, ears. Oh, and white-ish hair too. "What the _fuck_." Okay, so normally she tried not to curse around parents, especially if she did not know said parents very well, but what else was she suppose to do? Eyes wide, she decided to do something potentially productive, and flung her fork at the eared boy.

Her face scowled when he dodged it, and went to throw it back at her before Kagome stood up sharply, walked over to him, and roughly grabbed an ear, giving it a hard tug."Inuyasha! Stop acting like such a brute. And what have I told you about _knocking_?"

Inuyasha's face turned red, obviously upset about being treated like some kind of dog, and snorted. "Yeah, whatever."

Satisfied with his answer, if only mildly, the blue-eyed teen let him go, shooting Sam and apologetic look, mixed with something else she couldn't quite place. "Sorry about that, he isn't housebroken."

Blinking, she continued to stare, looking between Kagome, and Inuyasha respectively. Ms. Higurashi laughed faintly, obviously trying to lighten the strange mood that drifted over the kitchen.

"...So. He's got weird hair and eye colors, dog ears I'm assuming with the joke, and...everybody's _okay_ with this?" Sam raised an eyebrow, lips pursing faintly as she waited for some kind of explanation. "Did I miss something, or is this some kind of pull a prank on the Canadian?"

Kagome bit her lip, and gave a nervous smile. "Well...er, about that-"

"He's a demon!" Souta chirped helpfully, and stuck another helping of edamame "Half demon to be exact."

_Uh huh..._

Was this really happening to her? The first time she feels a real friendly connection with someone, and then this really extreme Punk'd Japan shit happens? _Awesome, just awesome_. Shaking her head she stood up, exhaling heavily before flashing Ms. Higurashi a smile. "It was a nice meal, Ms. Higurashi, but, I think I'll be going now."

Ignoring the protests, she stormed out, not bothering to give another glance at the occupants of the kitchen.

…

"Unbelievable." A low mutter came, lips pulled into a scowl. Never had she been more _embarrassed_. Sure, she'd heard stories of tourists being pulled around, but she didn't think it would actually happen to her.

Did she look like a typical tourist or something? Of course some traveling idiots had to make things worse for everyone.

Pulling her hair over her shoulder, she languidly began to comb out the long strands, wincing faintly every time a knot was untangled. As much of a chore as this used to be, now she thought it rather relaxing. The gentle tugging sensation on her hair stimulated her scalp and brought a sense of ease.

Soon enough it would be time to call back home and let them know everything was fine, before they called the police and labeled her as MIA. It had occurred before due to her phone dying, and that was not something she wanted to relive.

Overprotective parents were lovable, but sometimes a little over the top.

It used to be a lot worse though, probably because she was there only kid and all. That definitely made it understandable, if only slightly more annoying at times.

Her eyes closed as the phone vibrated against the armrest for what happened to be the fifth time that night.

Part of her wanted to answer, to see what kind of explanation could be made, but the other, the stubborn-as-a-mule part said don't even bother. That was her luck, though.

_I knew two good meals in one day was too good to be true! _Groaning, she fell sideways onto the couch, placing the brush on a near coffee table.

Rubbing her temples, the gentle pitter-patter of rain hitting the window echoed throughout her meager apartment. It was by some miracle that the storm outside really wasn't too bad at all; she never was too fond of them at night.

Somethings about loud, clapping thunder just made her jump. Combined with cracks of lighting and darkness, it was recipe for a sleepless night, or a disastrous one.

Normally it was solved by taking one or two sleep aids, but they weren't necessary this time...though she'd probably go out and buy some in the morning - a.k.a afternoon.

Rolling over some, cuddling close, she couldn't help but muse faintly, _maybe I should get a dog?_

Loud knocking pulled her from sleep, and instantly Sam remembered why it was so terrible to sleep on couches. Everything was fine and dandy until the morning.

Rubbing her temples with a groggy noise she couldn't quite classify, she forced herself onto her feet, and zombie-walked to the door, pressing her cheek against the cool wood. "Whaddayawant?" The slur of words came out lazily as she tried to force herself to be slightly more conscious.

"Sam?"

That was Kagome's voice.

Her mood soured some, and a laugh of hers was muffled by the door. "What? Come to see the tourist? How _nice_ of you."

"No, it's nothing like that! Just...just let me explain, okay?" Well, you had to give it to Kagome - she even sounded desperate.

What a nice touch.

"How could you possibly explain that in any way that makes sense?"

There was a pause, and she was pretty sure the blue-eyed girl had stepped a bit closer to the door. "Well, it doesn't really make sense, but I do have an explanation! And it isn't what you think."

Okay, curiosity was peaked, but she didn't enjoy being made out to be a fool. Brows furrowing, she glared at the unseen teen, suspicion clouding her mind. "How the hell did you find out where I lived?"

A vaguely familiar gruff voice said something, but she couldn't make out what it was. Throwing caution to the wind, Sam opened the door, and leaned against the arch, hardly dressed in any sensible way - large tee and panties- with a dark eyebrow quirked once she noticed the guy was wearing a baseball cap. "_Really_?" If they were going for less noticeable, that definitely wasn't it.

Inuyasha stood with his arms crossed, not exactly looking completely pleased to be there, but smart enough not to saying anything. Yet, anyway. "I promise, I wasn't trying to prank you or anything, Inuyasha's just...different."

She snorted. Oh, this had to be good. "Yeah, he walks around with animatronic ears on his head."

This is where he looked offended, and snapped, "They're real, dammit. Kagome, stop beatin' around the damn bush. Either tell her or not, but either way we gotta get going already."

At that, Kagome perked up some, bright eyes landing on her as an idea sprung to mind. "Get dressed, I have something I want to show you." Inuyasha nearly protested, but she shut him up with a pointed glare.

Well, the girl knew how to whip'em, that was for sure.

But now the question remained - did she regret going, or, regret _not_ going?

It only took a moment to decide. "Alright, gimme a sec."

With the advice to dress comfortably, but functionally, she decided on the simplest course of action: jean shorts (durable and comfy), a thin, tank top and classic Converse. Breathable, easy to move in, and wouldn't be ridiculously hot.

After receiving an approving grin from Kagome, she let the girl drag her back over to her shrine, getting more nervous the closer they got.

Climbing the steps, she couldn't help but notice the bit of concern on other's face. What exactly was she going to show her? And why would it make her worried? Pushing those thoughts aside, she was ready to plead insanity when they ushered her quietly into the well house, and closed the door.

"Nice wellhouse." Well, wasn't that a slap in the _awkward_.

Inuyasha removed the baseball cap, and jumped on the edge of the well, as Kagome picked up an obscenely yellow bag from the corner, and followed him. "Yeah. It has it's uses." Cue a 'feh' from the eared boy. "We'll go down first, then help you out on the other side."

Insanity really was knocking around the corner, wasn't it? "We're jumping into a well."

Kagome nodded.

"A _well. _There is no other side, it's just dirt!"

Inuyasha shrugged, not torn whether she went or not, and jumped in. Kagome hesitated for a moment, and gave an almost knowing grin. "Never know unless you jump too, y'know!"

Then just like the boy, she jumped in, and disappeared.

_Damn her_, she knew that would get her to follow!

Taking a deep breath, she looked over the edge, just to be sure they weren't fooling her. She could see the bottom, and they definitely weren't there. Biting her lip, she pushed herself over the edge and, in true Sam fashion, _tripped_ in more than jumping in as they had.

Warmth surrounded her, like darkness, but then..light.

Birds sounded ahead, and the air seemed almost too clean to breath. It was like detoxing her lungs from the smog and smoke of cities and modern day life. Grasping at thick vines, she managed to climb almost all the way to the top, before a clawed hand reached in for her to grab.

Taking it without hesitation, Inuyasha pulled her up and out of the well, and flashed a toothy grin. "I didn't think you'd jump."

_That was debatable_, her mind mused, before a familiar figure was at her side, arm hooked through her own. "See? This is the other side, and this is why Inuyasha has ears."

Falling through a well to a different place explained a lot of things, but only so much. Like, maybe she _was_ crazy, but at least she wasn't alone. "Yeah, about that...where are we?"

And then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Kagome beamed as they begun following Inuyasha out of the admittedly beautiful forest. "Feudal Japan - five hundred years in the past to be exact."

Right,_ Feudal Japan_. Why hadn't she guessed that. "Only five hundred? Here I was thinking it would've been more then that!"

Unknowing of what else to do she laughed, and if anything could be said by the her sudden unconscious state, she'd just found her limit of information overload with only one thought in mind: _oh my god._


	3. A Day in the Life

**Feline's Note**: Like it so far, interested? Let me know!

**...**

Someone was shaking her, and out of instinct, she slapped the hand away. "Sam!"

With a start she sat up, holding her head as the room spinned, double-vision fading to reveal Kagome - and what appeared to be the inside of a small hut. _Awesome_.

"How are you feeling?"

_Depends_, her mind murmured. After all, how does one feel after finding out they're in the past, and demons exist? "Better." It wasn't a lie, because hell, she was awake now, and definitely not dead. So, hurray, she wasn't crazy or in some kind of hyper realistic dream, but god damn, because it was Feudal Japan. "I gotta ask - are you a demon too, or something? I mean, how did you know about the well?"

Sitting down beside her more, Kagome took the time to explain everything. Her birthday, being dragged into the well, meeting Inuyasha, the Shikon Jewel, her friends - all the way to Naraku, who was apparently some super evil that even other demons wanted to get rid of. Not that she was surprised, he sounded like an A Class douchebag.

Villains were fun in stories, when you knew everything was going to be okay; but...here? Life already sounded hard enough without that to add onto it. She had to comment Kagome, though. Anyone else might've said 'See ya!' and just left everyone to deal with it, but she was sacrificing a lot to live two lives, and help out.

Also, she was a miko, which gave her a bit of an advantage.

Her nose scrunched some as she felt the telling signs of a headache, which probably had something to do with the near constant clash of metal outside. "What's the deal out there anyway? Obviously whatever problem they're trying to solve isn't working very well." She could've sworn she heard a huff, but it was ignored.

Patting her on the back, Kagome stood, and offered a hand. "It's best just to let them go at it until someone is unconscious or decides the other isn't worth the trouble."

By the funny face Kagome gave, she could only guess which one was going to be unconscious if it came down to it.

Fingers brushing long strands of dark hair back, she cursed herself for not having the foresight to bring a hair tie or scrunchie to keep it out of her face. _Next time, _if there was a next time anyway. It was obvious that she'd be able to get home, but would she want to come back?

"Duh," She murmured gently to herself. Of course she would. "Eh, so, I feel like I'm kind of intruding. I mean, it seems like you guys got your own tight knit group and-"

Kagome's hand covered her mouth for a moment, her grin whittling away the remaining worry she had. "Relax, Sam! It's not a big deal, alright? It'll be nice to have another girl around." It looked like for the first time in a long time, she'd actually get a chance to engage in _girl talk_!

It might've seemed silly, but she was actually excited about it. "Well, I'll try to act more like a girl then. For your sake."

Both of them were laughing faintly as the excited the hut, and were greeted by a few friendly pairs of eyes - and one that could've been mistaken for _dead _if it weren't for the faint moving of shoulders that indicated breathing. That, and well...

_Wow. _

He was gorgeous. Kind of ridiculously gorgeous, too. Long hair that matched Inuyasha's, with a tint of silver versus white, gold eyes, an indigo crescent moon upon a noble brow and duo magenta stripes slashing across his cheeks. Pale complexion, but without the pastiness white humans got when they didn't go out under the sun. The only crime was, she was pretty sure he was prettier than her. And, well, she didn't mind someone being prettier than her, but dammit, he was a _guy_!

Er, male demon. With typical male genetialia...she assumed. Hoped. Whatever.

Distraction came in the form of Sango and Miroku, who were exceptionally welcoming, and eager to hear stories from Tokyo, and Canada. Some of the telling required background knowledge or side-stories, but they were still happy to hear whatever she had to say about the future.

Talking to them was very relaxing, and she found herself getting quite animated to the point where a small crowd drew - the kit, Shippo became perched on her shoulder, and even little Rin (who apparently traveled with pretty boy) had taken a spot closer to the main group to listen. She couldn't remember ever talking this much at once in her life, but she was surprised how easy it was, even with the explanations that needed to be done at some points.

Sundown snuck up on them, and before long, everyone was, more or less, preparing to turn in. Kagome was quick to grab her for a bath out in a nearby springs, which she could hardly complain about.

Peeling off her clothes (which were still clean, thank Jehova), Sam slipped into the warm waters with a content sigh, and leaned against a rock, stifling a laugh when some water splashed her face when the other woman joined her. "Someone's eager," She teased, which earned a soapy loofa in her face. Rubbing it languidly along her arms, she had to admit, bathing in a hot spring even beat a jacuzzi.

While there were no jets, the scenery was gorgeous, and the sound of the night really helped set the mood. Pulling her hair over her shoulders, she let it cover her breasts, to add just a smidge of modesty.

"Quite the, eh, tension back there."

A brow raised in questioning, Kagome paused lathering up her hair for a moment and shrugged. "Inuyasha and Sesshomaru never got along, so that's to be expected."

Flicking some water with her fingers, she managed to get a small splash on the miko, lips pulled into a lopsided smirk. "I wasn't talkin' about Inuyasha and his big bad brother. I meant him and _you_."

That hit a nerve, and because the other women was suddenly very red, and sputtering. Unable to help it, Sam laughed, muffling the sound slightly with the back of her arm to keep from positively howling. Oh, it was too good.

Kagome looked like a tomato, and it was absolutely priceless. "There is nothing going on between-"

Combing her fingers through the ends of her hair, she shrugged, unable to wipe a silly grin off of her face. "Please, I could cut that sexual tension with a knife. Hell, pretty sure every other demon there could smell it, too. No wonder his brother was being all antisocial and looked pissy."

The blue-eyed female tittered, playfully bumping hips with her. "He _always_ looks like that. Don't think on it too much, alright? Guy's a total demon elitist."

"...And obviously a hypocrite."

"That too."

Biting her lip, she leaned in closer to the priestess, slinging an arm over her shoulder as she murmured thoughtfully. "But, he is, as the British say, oh so _fit_."

That earned a dunking as far as Kagome was concerned.

…

Nearly everyone about the small clearing was already asleep, except her.

It was a curse - falling asleep in a new place was always difficult the first night. Strangely enough, it wasn't because she didn't feel safe. With a slew of demons and highly qualified others about, she actually felt pretty darn safe. But her mind just wouldn't shut up, no matter how warm the sleeping bag and her sleeping buddy were.

_One sheep, two sheep, black sheep blue sheep. _Another mental note was made to bring along some sleep aids, and maybe a midnight snack or two. Reese's would do wonders right about now, but that just wasn't possible. Oh well.

Maybe the night wouldn't have been as bad if the other night owl said something. Anything really, even an insult would make it more bearable than the dead silence.

Kagome said he wasn't very talkative, and when he did speak, chances are you weren't too thrilled with what he had to say for one reason or another. But, since he more or less took it upon himself to be the group Alpha (way to break from stereotypes) you either went with it, or got left behind.

It was pretty clear to see which one everyone chose.

Honestly, by the description she's been given, it was surprising he didn't deny her access to the group - er, pack...whatever. Maybe he was giving her a trial period?

"...Do you not sleep, or, what?" The words tumbled from her mouth without permission, but she couldn't regret them, and wouldn't, even if it brought on some consequences. "I mean, you have to sleep _sometime_, if you are all superior."

She really wasn't surprised when he didn't say anything, and instead, turned very unamused, faintly narrowed eyes in her direction. Definitely the strong, silent, glaring type.

Wonderful. Annoying him wasn't the best thing to do, even if she was bored out of her mind - so another approach was definitely needed. Something...conductive, where she was less likely to catch her death. "Why do you want to kill Naraku?"

That seemed to surprise him, if only minutely. "The hanyou insulted this one's honor." Saffron eyes turned away from her, and peered into the darkness beyond the camp lit by a dying fire. "It is unacceptable."

_Someone has a nice voice_, but she wasn't about to say that out loud. It was the kind of voice that, had it been reading lullabies, or even an encyclopedia, she would've had no problem knocking out. Too bad he wasn't more willing to elaborate, cause that would send her right off.

"Well, good talk." Lazily sarcasm laced her words as she rolled over, not at all ashamed about cuddling into Kagome, who seemed more than happy to return the favor. _God, I love cuddling. _To her, it was probably the best thing next to bacon, especially when it's cold as hell...which doesn't make any sense but it was oh so true.

Eyes slipping shut, gradually her breathing slowed, and that night, while cocooned in warmth, she dreamt of a sword, and a striped arm emerging as one in crackling green and blue light.


	4. Back to the Past

**Feline's Note**: Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who is also celebrating it today.

Even if you don't, it's a good day to reflect on things you are thankful to have in your life!

**...**

Her little stint in the past had been three weeks ago. Since then, she'd managed to get her life on Tokyo in order - she went clothing shopping, bought some extra furniture, and was even ahead on her rent. Which meant she'd have more time to do other, more interesting things.

Like decipher golden eyed glares, and really get in touch with history.

A slight mental slap was given as her mind wandered down inappropriate places. She blamed the lack of sex for over a year. It wasn't the end of the world, it just meant she'd have annoying, persistent fantasies from time to time. And if they happened to star the Ice Prince, who cared? She wasn't naive enough to think she'd somehow change his mind on humans, let alone in the short amount of time she spent there.

He was eye candy, and when he happened to speak, intellectual stimulation. On the last night before she left, she'd gotten him to speak of his travels to other countries. Apparently, the dog had a knack for French, because she'd nearly swooned out of admiration when it came rolling off of his tongue like nothing; one, because even _she_ didn't have that good of a grasp on it despite the language being fairly prominent in Canada, and two, there was that whole very nice voice thing which did wonders.

Shaking her head, Sam began packing away a few essentials in her over-the-shoulder bag - a few pairs of underwear and a bra or two, sleepwear, shorts, various tees and tanks, not to mention minimal bathing supplies narrowed down to a towel, shampoo, conditioner, facial scrub and body wash. Everything was lightly scented, keeping her comrades in mind. It would do no good to annoy their sensitive noses, or catch the unwanted attention of others with something too strong.

Never one to wear much makeup, if any, there was plenty of space for a small tube of liquid eyeliner, and chapstick.

Going over a quick mental checklist, she was happy to find that she probably had more than necessary. Kagome washed clothes often (good girl!), which was a great thing. Though, how that girl ran about in a skirt was beyond her. Maybe she didn't notice? The miko was about two years younger than her...but then again, maybe she just didn't care.

_Oh well!_ That was her choice after all.

With her bag packed, she set off back to the Higurashi well, stopping inside the house briefly to taste Mrs. Higurashi's cooking, before jumping down the well, and climbing out on the other side. A clawed, tanned hand was there to pull her out, along with a suitable wolfish grin. "Yo."

During her week stay, the group had been visited by the Wolf Prince, Kouga. Over ramen (and potato chips) she'd actually bonded very well with the blue-eyed demon, and found he was a sort of kindred spirit. A best, non-romantic boyfriend she'd never had before.

It was kind of awesome, 'cause she got the scoop on his 'troubles' with Kagome, and Ayame.

"Yo yourself." She was hardly surprised when he pulled a small bag of chips from some fold in his clothing, and offered some, which she took without a complaint, because hey, it was _free _and delicious. "I think you're addicted to junk food Kouga, and I may have to stage an intervention at some point."

He snorted, and bent his knees, letting her climb up on his back for a quick run to the group. "Yeah? I'd like to see you try. Probably just confiscate everything to eat yourself!"

Almost instantly the tornado kicked up at his heels, and they were off, going at speeds she was sure rivaled the fastest motorbike. There was no time to really admire the scenery, but there would be time for that later.

Right now it was catching up to the affectionately nicknamed dog pack. "Damn, saw straight through my plan."

Hitching a ride on the wolf's pack was surprisingly comfortable, and she wound up taking a faint doze with her head on his shoulder, until he mentioned they were getting really close.

In a matter of moments, the whirlwind stopped, and she hopped off his back, only to be greeted by a near lung-crushing hug from the other two women in the group. Sango was her silent confidante, and could take information and judge it without bias to give really good feedback from a neutral perspective; and Kagome, well, she was like a safety blanket, warm and unapologetic for the natural comfort she seemed to give.

Sango grinned. "Welcome back. How was everything back home?"

"Great. I see no major disaster has happened over here, which is good."

She could hear the miko snicker at that one. "Depends on your definition of disaster." _Well, when you put it like that... _maybe it was a good thing she was back. Looked like she missed out on some entertaining stuff! Now she had some supplies though, and wouldn't need to worry so much about clothes or hygiene this time around. Somehow, she'd made due last time, but no chances were being taken again.

Bag set next to Kagome's, a private hug to the kit was given before a familiar, cool voice addressed her. It nearly had her jumping out of her skin, since she wasn't used to him of all people talking to her, let alone during the day. "You have returned."

"Yeah. Don't mind, do you?" Not that it would change her stance on returning, of course. He'd just have to deal with that if he really hated it that much. It wasn't as if it was her fault he seemed to hate everyone equally, with the exception of Inuyasha, who was surprisingly calm.

The lack of a true answer aside from a soft 'hn' wasn't unexpected in the least.

_Whatever. _

Sesshomaru wasn't obligated to talk to her, and she didn't see the point in forcing him. Doing so would make any dislike he had for her race (or maybe just her) even worse. Things right now, at that tentative acquaintanceship, was a place she could make do with. He didn't try to kill her, and she didn't bug him.

Sam did, however, happily bug Rin, who was positively adorable. The little girl was like an encyclopedia on the demon, though sometimes the things she said was cryptic and vague, in true childlike fashion. "Did you dress Jaken up again with flowers?"

Her giggle was enough of an answer. Patting her lap, she beckoned the girl to come over, which she did. If there was one thing Rin liked more than flowers (and maybe even her Lord) it was getting her hair brushed. Taking the little ponytail out, and hooking the band around her wrist, she began to brush through the thick layers of dark hair with ease.

It was relaxing, and was some old-school bonding. Sam was never too sure how to act around kids, aside from not being such a sailor in her speaking, but this was easy, and made the process a lot less nerve wracking.

Once all the knots were untangled, she let her fingers part through the hair, languidly building a loose braid that could keep hair out of her eyes, and moving it to the side, holding it in place with an extra hairband. "All done!" The pretty smile she got after was really the only payment she needed. Honesty, she couldn't say she was surprised that Rin had, quite obviously, snuck her way into Sesshomaru's heart. Otherwise, he never would've let it get this far. He could deny it all he wanted (or just keep quite, which was pretty customary), but she knew better.

Dinner was early, since they still needed to make it to the village by late tomorrow afternoon. Rice balls and fish was on the menu, and while rarely one to eat seafood (unless it was the sushi variety) it was pretty good.

She'd been so wrapped up in conversation with her fellow girls that she didn't even notice Rib had begun to doze off at her side, one hand draped over her thigh. Unwilling to move the kid just yet, she let her nap for now, while Inuyasha and Kouga engaged in quiet conversation nearby.

"'Yasha? Want the rest of my fish?"

He wasn't one to turn away extra food, which she liked.

…

With Kagome cleaning up, it was time to gently awaken the child keeping her side warm. "Alright kiddo, time for a nice bath, then bed, okay?" A silent mumble was her response, but she took it as a yes, and brought her bag - Kouga was nice enough to walk with them to the spring, before going back to help his 'woman' finish cleaning. If she thought dogs were thick headed, wolves were the same, maybe worse. Even she had tried to explain to him that Kagome wasn't interested in him in that way, but he chose to remain completely oblivious.

Commitment issues with Ayame was the first thing that came to mind. She'd have to help him with that eventually. Before she even set the bag down near a rock, Rin had stripped and practically jumped in. Taking out the bathing supplies, she followed suit after, dunking under the water to wet her hair, before begin to wash her body."Do you get to bath in springs a lot?"

Rin shook her head, "No. Usually I wash up in rivers or lakes if they're clean enough. Sometimes though, there are springs near where Lord Sesshomaru wishes to stop."

Biting her lip, she could hardly help but asking, "...Have you guys ever bathed together? Like we are now." She was curious, and well, it was her understanding that families here did such things fairly often.

"Well, not all the time..."

_Aw_. Regular father of the year, except he didn't want anyone to know. Males, demon or human, obviously were not meant to be understood completely, ever. Pouring some shampoo into her palm, she lathered it and begun spreading it throughout her hair, ensuring it got as close to everywhere as possible. Bending down, she rinsed through it languidly, ringing out her hair carefully before putting on some conditioner. Noticing big, brown eyes staring at her curious, she blinked. "What's up?"

The faint blush that came on her cheeks only stumped her further. "You're really pretty,"

Smiling with a faint laugh, she scooped up the skittish girl into her arms, "So are you Rin-chan. No wonder you've got that demon wrapped around your little finger." Blowing a raspberry on her cheek, she let the child go so she could rinse out the conditioner from her hair, and loosely braid the wet strands. "Want me to help make you squeaky clean? You'll smell like cherries!"

That was all the convincing she needed before Rin let herself be soaped up from head to toe, and even behind her ears.


End file.
